SBM Exclusive Feature: The BLAST-CAST – Volume 4: The Baseball “Locks” Edition

With baseball’s Opening Day just hours away, Blast-Casters Ryan Meehan from East End Philadelphia and J-Dub from Dubsism take a hard look at the upcoming season. This isn’t you normal preview of cming baseball attractions, rather Meehan and J-Dub have compiled a full nine innings worth of baseball “locks;” things that are virtually guaranteed to happen in “America’s National Past-time” over the next six months.  Like I said, this isn’t the standard set of predictions, rather these are things which will prove to be important later on, but many of them may not be on your radar right now.

Click here to listen to or download the Blast-Cast (MP3 format)…this is a “must-hear” if you are a baseball fan!

Dubsism

Back in 2005, the NCAA declared that Native American mascots were “hostile and abusive” and outlawed them. Eight years later, the fact they are still around may be the perfect example of why the NCAA is the standard by which one measures ineffective and hypocritical organizations. The fact the debate spread beyond that is even more of a damning statement.

In today’s installment of the Dubscast, J-Dub takes a critical look at how the NCAA really isn’t interested in “hostile and abusive” because it clearly makes decision based on other criteria it won’t tell anybody.  It is important to understand this IS NOT a discussion as to whether these mascots are “offensive,” you will need to get past that debate in order to see the bigger picture in play in this issue.

In other words, after checking out this episode of the Dubscast, you will need to decide for yourself…

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MLB Preview 2013: 15 Predictions

Coach’s Rant Bracket: The Spiteful Sixteen

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First Round Recap:

Since the tournament began, 16 rants have battled their way into the Spiteful Sixteen. The first round provided us with several blow-outs, a few close finishes and a one big upset. 6-seed John L. Smith took down 3-seed Dan Hawkins in the west region. Other than that, the seeds held pretty true in round 1.

16 rants were bounced from the tournament in the first round. Jerry Burns’s “I love Anderson, but it was a dumb fucking play;” Mike Singletary’s “Can’t coach with ’em;” and two of the four Bob Knight rants were some of the more notable participants to take an early exit.

Now it gets interesting. The match-ups are better a the results will be even closer. EVERY VOTE COUNTS! THAT MEANS YOU, GUY SKIMMING OVER THIS PAGE WITH NO INTENTION OF VOTING. AHHHHHH! ALL CAPS FOR EMPHASIS!!!!

Here are your Spiteful Sixteen match-ups:

SBM Exclusive Feature: Sports Doppelgangers, Volume 29

Thanks to the end of the Miami Heat’s winning streak last night, the NBA is the leading story in the sports world this morning. To that end, why not point out a solid NBA doppelganger, such as San Antonio’s Manu Ginobli and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedinijad.

Dubsism

It’s that time again. With Opening Day less than a week away (for the record, we will never count those games played in Japan as the real opener (if for no other reason Opening Day is about consuming your weight in hot dogs and beer, not sushi and sake), it is time to give you some solid opinions on all 30 Major League teams from somebody who actually watches baseball.

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Show me the Math: AL Central preview

The AL Central, like the NL Central, lacks the star power of the East and West divisions. No New York or LA teams make the central divisions rather…well..bland. Not that they don’t have talented teams. The Cardinals and White Sox each have a World Series victory within the last decade, which is more than you can say for the high profile, high payroll teams from LA. It’s just rare that you hear anyone mention anyone from either central division as the front runner for the Pennant. But this year the popular pick in the AL has to be the Detroit Tigers.

Less than a decade removed from a 43 win season that ranks as one of the worst in baseball history the Tigers have turned into a perennial contender. But they also did it the right way. They didn’t use Moneyball tactics. They didn’t drown the rest of the division in piles of money. They drafted properly, hired quality personnel, spent on free agents wisely and judiciously, kept their own players and let go of players that had outlived their usefulness. As a Pirates fan, I am truly envious.

And we miss Jim Leyland. All of us.

(read the full story here.)

Ranking the Top 10 ESPN Shows, Part II (5-1)

Dubsism

The Hindenburg.

Challenger.

My 2013 NCAA Bracket.

All of them were disasters which made you understand how fleeting life can be. While my bracket will never have the ever-lasting imagery of the Hindenburg or Challenger, it was a tragedy of unparalled proportions in my own bracket-filling history.  Never in my twenty-plus years of bracket mayhem has it been this bad. Never had I lost my two finalists in the first weekend. Only one other time have I missed seven of the Sweet Sixteen.

So, while my bracket is not officially dead yet, it’s like an airliner headed for the ground the hard way. It’s on fire and plunging toward earth; it’s just a matter of time before the final meeting with a corn field seals it’s fate on a rather permanent basis. With that, let’s move past the screaming and praying, through acceptance, and right to the crash investigation.

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